20 Second Timeout

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Tuesday, September 09, 2014

Drummond, Cousins Look To Take Next Step After FIBA Experience

Guest Article by Sam Holbein

Four years ago, much was made about the
fact that nearly every player on the 2010 FIBA World Cup team wound up doing
big things that fall in the NBA. Many agreed that the extra work against
world-class talent helped players take that next step. Two very talented big
men in the NBA are hoping that the same will hold true in 2014. DeMarcus
Cousins and Andre Drummond are two of the most talented young centers in the
game, and they are getting valuable experience this summer.

Talent in the NBA is abundant, but these two still
stand out in a crowd. They are both physically gifted in ways that few
basketball players in the world are. Both were highly regarded out of high
school and college, but they came with some red flags. Discipline has always
been an issue, and maturity has been questioned at times as well.
Cousins is the older of the two, and right now, he
is more refined. That has led to more significant minutes in the FIBA World Cup
so far. It is very likely that the United States will count on him quite a bit
if they face Spain in the championship game. The Spaniards have a lot of size
to throw at Team USA, but Cousins is as big and as talented as any of them.

People in fantasy basketball are more than pleased with Cousins’ output at this time. He
is someone who is more highly regarded when just looking at his statistics.
There has been a lot of losing in Sacramento, and some of the blame has been
put on Cousins’ lack of leadership qualities. Now 24 and around a bunch of
other talented players, perhaps he can step things up for the Kings in
2014-2015.

As for Drummond, he seems to briefly show flashes
of brilliance at times. He is one of the most physically gifted NBA players in
the game, but he still needs to refine his game. He has no jumpshot to speak
of, and his free-throw shooting is atrocious. As long as he stays within
himself, he is worth going after in fantasy basketball because he is a
double-double machine.

Drummond might not be playing as much in the World
Cup, but he is still practicing with some of the best in the world. With Stan
Van Gundy now the head coach in Detroit, it is time for Drummond to take things
up another level. His hard work this summer could make him an All-Star sooner rather than
later in the Eastern Conference.

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